Key Takeaways
- A petition has been filed with the Federal Constitutional Court to ban social media use by children under 16.
- The petitioners argue that unrestricted social media access harms children's mental and moral development.
- They seek age-verification mechanisms and stricter content enforcement by regulatory bodies.
A petition has been filed before the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) in Pakistan, seeking a ban on social media use by children under 16. The petition, filed by lawyers Sheraz Zaka and Moin Akhtar, aims to protect children from cyber bullying, addictive design features, and indecent content.
The petitioners argue that current Pakistani laws, such as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) 2016, do not mandate age verification for social media access, leaving children vulnerable to harmful content.
Citing examples from Australia, Italy, and Brazil, the petitioners assert that such regulation is both feasible and necessary to safeguard children's well-being.
The petitioners also highlight the failure of regulatory bodies, such as the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), to enforce its own code of conduct, allowing inappropriate content to be broadcast during child-viewing hours.
They point to the broader education crisis in Pakistan, where approximately 25 million children are out of school, the highest number globally, and argue that the government's inaction violates constitutional rights.
The petitioners request the FCC to direct the federal government to amend Peca 2016 to restrict social media access for under-16s with an age-verification mechanism. They also seek stricter enforcement of content standards by Pemra and coordination with social media platforms on parental controls.
The petitioners describe it as the first such petition filed in Pakistan on this issue, with the federal government, the ministry of law and justice, the ministry of information technology, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, Pemra, and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority listed as respondents.
The petitioners emphasize the need for the government to address the issue of out-of-school children and dropout rates, alongside the proposed social media ban.
